avablog

Tweens today! Amiright? On the way to pick up Ava from swim earlier this week, I texted her as I left the driveway. The following ensued:

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Aaaaaannnd we’re off! Ava and Emmett managed to set aside their petty sibling squabbles long enough this morning to pose for a quick shot in their First Day finery. It was a perfect morning for walking to school, which Leah did with the kids while I drove the car and met them at Hoover. I […]

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Ava has a big concert tonight, so she slept in curlers last night so her ‘do would be all bouncin’ and behavin’ today. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Hair’s kind of an ongoing thing with Ava. Seems like both kids got my hair, which is finer and not as full as their mother’s. For a 10-year-old girl who […]

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This morning we sent Emmett off to his first day of kindergarten. Everything went much better than even a typical school morning. We gathered up all the supplies and backpacks and lunches and snacks and headed out the door right on time for the hot, humid walk up to Hoover Elementary. Once there, the kids […]

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Well, it finally happened. Meet Teddy, the latest — and hopefully last — addition to our merry band.

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We watched Tristan over the weekend while his mom went off to Dubuque to take spa treatments with her husband for her birthday. Tristan is an agreeable fellow, nearly always ready with a smile and a laugh and a hug. So it was with no small amount of wonder on my behalf that Rachel and […]

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Ava wants a dog. Between getting home from school and my arrival home from work yesterday, Ava plastered every door upstairs with small posters depicting sad puppies and including phrases like, “Daughters need dogs!,” and “Puppies need love too!” I was not swayed. Which, of course, resulted in another of Ava’s tantrums. I reminded her […]

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Our little AGP was all dolled up and eager this morning as she headed off to her doomed elementary school for another year of the Three Rs. She got the teacher she wanted (he disciplines through niceness, apparently), and she even has a couple friends in her class of 24 students. I’m hoping her enthusiasm […]

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Leah recently took the kids to the pool for the first time this year. It’s still early enough that the water is a tad on the chilly side, but even a chilly day at the pool is better than a warm day sitting at home on the sofa. Amiright? Photo by LMK.

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We headed up north to Decorah last month for a rainy, yet fun, visit. G.G. and Poom Poom even turned on the AC for us! Thought I’d take a moment to share some select photos from the weekend, for your viewing pleasure.

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The big news at the house this week is that ECP is moving from his little Big Boy bed to his big Big Boy bed (with robots!). I spent most of the week patching some water damage in one corner of Emmett’s room and re-painting the entire thing in preparation for the arrival of his […]

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Spring is springing, at last. It’s been awesome to be able to get outside and work in the yard and even just sit and enjoy an ice cream cone. This past weekend we helped Tristan celebrate his second birthday. I think it’s safe to say a good time was had by all. And especially Tristan. […]

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Over spring break this year, we took a couple days and traveled to Minneapolis with Leah’s mom. Rachel, Kevin, and Tristan came, too. The trip was, ostensibly, to help celebrate G.G.’s birthday, but we spent the bulk of the time carting the kids around to various kid-friendly venues for their entertainment. One such venue was […]

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Never fails. I could take photos of these kids all day long for days on end with my DSLR, and then Gramary comes along with her iPhone and catches a shot that blows away anything I captured. I suppose I should be grateful, and I am. This photo is representative of a couple things. One, […]

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I wouldn’t say I went into having kids wearing rose-colored glasses, but it’d be fair to say I’ve still been taken aback a time or two by how difficult parenting can be. Even so, after eight years, the moments of sweetness continue to make up for all the wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of […]

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I’ve been busy processing the photos from our recent vacation to Grand Marais. So far, I think is is one of my favorite shots: Taken at the Lake View Natural Dairy just up the trail from Grand Marais.

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Sigh. The real magic of these time series shots is to know that the same little girl from the first picture is in that big(ger) body in the last picture. I’m lucky to have Ava in my life, even if she’s a constant reminder that I need to be a better person.

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Ava is off at camps at her former kindergarten this week. This morning, as I was slathering her with sunscreen, she asked me to come up with a riddle that would prepare her for her “Brain Busters” camp today.

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Coconut popsicles on the front porch of an early summer evening.

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